- Elsbridge -

Welcome to the SRMG's 'Thomas' themed layout Elsbridge. A dual purpose as it is used by both club members and by our friends and associates at FOYD (Friends Of the Young Disabled).

The layout consists of two 00 scale standard gauge continuous circuits with a pair of passing loops and three sidings, in addition there is also an end to end 009 scale narrow gauge single line with a passing loop at both ends.
 
On the fictitious island of Sodor the town of Elsbridge is sited in the Els valley on the western side of the island and is served by the Ffarquhar branch which is more commonly known as Thomas' branch line. In the early days of the railways on Sodor Elsbridge was the terminus of the K&ELR (Knapford & Elsbridge Light Railway), this line was later extended from Knapford to the neighbouring town of Tidmouth and about ten years after the grouping of Sodor's railways to form the NWR (North Western Railway) the line was extended beyond Elsbridge to link up with the small village of Ffarquhar to initially provide a means of transport to the harbour for the newly established FQC (Ffarquhar Quarry Company) at Anopha Fell. The town of Elsbridge is based on the real life village of Elsworth in Cambridgeshire, where from 1946 to 1952 the Rev .W. Awdry was the rector of the village.
 
When the layout was first conceived only one station (Elsbridge) was to feature, however as ideas were suggested and developed it soon became clear that a second station was needed and with the installation of the narrow gauge line to represent the Skarloey Railway there was really only one station which stood out as the obvious choice to build as it's the only place on Sodor where the standard and narrow gauges link up and that was Crovan's Gate station.

Crovan's Gate is located near the hilly eastern side of Sodor and is the location of a narrow path through the hillside, linking the east side of the island with it's centre. Long before the railways made their way through this area this site was witness to a famous battle when King Godred snatched victory from the jaws of defeat during a Viking invasion of the island. Crovan's Gate is also the location of the NWR's workshops where all the major repairs, overhauls and restorations are carried out. The terminus, yards and motive power department of the Skarloey Railway can also be found here. 

Future development of the layout will see other additions such as: 

• A goods transfer yard to transfer freight between standard and narrow gauge. 
• Loco sheds for both gauges. 
• A set of open air market stalls. 
• A merry-go-round, motorised for added realism.
• Signalling system.
• And perhaps a dalek or two, after all we do already have a certain police box on the layout.